Site 6 hotel delayed until next year?

PL A NS to build a £40 million Waterfront hotel have been delayed yet a g a i n , i n a f r es h setback for the city’s £1bn regeneration project.

Work on the luxury accommodation, set to be operated by international hotelier Marriott under its AC brand, will now not realistically start until next year.

That is despite the council setting aside £20m to get the project under way, as well as having planning permission and a building warrant for the first phase of the project signed off.

It is understood the delay revolves around the “business case” for the hotel – the rationale for the project existing in the first place – not being completed as expected.

Without a business case signed off by councillors, the council cannot justify beginning the work, and therefore cannot justify splashing the cash.

Initially, the council intended to spend £19.6m on the project between April this year and next March – the 2019/20 financial year – and another £2.7m in the same period in 2020/21.

But a spending review due to be presented to councillors next week now proposes shifting £12.16m for the Site 6 hotel into next year’s budget – in what council officers term a “rephasing” of the project.

The paper states: “The budget has been rephased to reflect the anticipated construction programme.

“The design process is at an advanced stage, aligned to the timescales required to complete the full business case for the hotel.”

Despite the shift of the sum into next year’s coffers, those with knowledge of the move vehemently deny that it represents a delay.

A source said: “This does not mean it has been delayed as there was never a date on the project in the first place. It’s more complicated than that.”

Liberal Democrat group leader and West End councillor Fraser Macpherson, pictured right, said he will ask questions when the report is discussed on Monday.

The councillor has also called on officers to stick to plain English when admitting to delays in flagship projects.

“I do think there’s a real need for all council committee reports to use plain English at all times,” he said.

“Too often there’s far too much